In a world where punters are fickle and new bars and clubs come and go like never before, it's nice to know that this year sees Ministry of Sound celebrating their 15th (yes 15th) birthday. House music may not be as big as it once was, but Ministry have managed to survive - how? Why? And what does a superclub do for their birthday?

Back in 1991, Ministry of Sound opened their doors, not knowing what to expect. The raving scene had made its way through the underground and had become part of the mainstream, and alongside this, the culture of clubbing had also developed - a more refined way of raving some might say. Revellers in London now had somewhere to go to enjoy the music they wanted to hear, without having to wait for a phone call or spend hours driving from service station to service station on the M25, looking for news on where the next rave would be. And who do they have to thank for all this? His name is James Palumbo, son of property developer Lord Peter Palumbo. James was inspired by the house music movement in the US, and opted for an unused bus depot in South London as the place to start his vision of a London superclub.

James was focused on introducing music from DJs known worldwide in order to give the people of the UK access to music from those they adored. House music had its golden years in the UK during the 90s, and James knew that there was a market out there looking for just what he was offering. Big names such as Trevor Nelson, Erick Morillo, Masters At Work, Derrick May, Josh Wink, Basement Jaxx, Groove Armada and Pete Tong, and many many more have graced the decks of the club, playing their mixes on a Friday and Saturday night on one of the most impressive sound systems around. Weekly residencies have also been introduced with some of the most sought after DJs setting up camp at the London superclub for months at a time and playing for the masses.

Ministry soon began expanding, and looking at their portfolio as a company it is obvious that they are no longer simply a club. The club grew internationally, with franchise clubs opened in Asia (MoS Taipei opening in 2004, and MoS Singapore opening in 2005) as well as MoS related venues opening in Egypt, and in some great contrast, Harrogate. The company has also developed its own record label, producing several compilations (as well as singles) annually featuring a whole host of legends from the house and dance music industries. Back in January of this year, Ministry ventured even further with their label work when they purchased record label Hed Kandi from the Guardian Media Group, with the intention of maintaining the already established brand. In addition, they also have their own clothing line, radio station (available originally on DAB but now available online and on satellite) as well as their own branded electronic equipment. Ministry is no longer simply about the club. With its ever increasing popularity extending to a global audience, catering for their other tastes became a priority for the club and their ever expanding mini-empire is evidence of this. With the expanding company, came expanding profits reflected by owner Jamie Palumbo making the Sunday Times Music Rich List this year, ahead of the likes of Eric Clapton, Robbie Williams and the Beckhams.

On to the serious business - celebrations. Their 15th birthday will go down a storm no doubt and the club has really pushed the boat out to make sure it's a birthday to remember. The celebrations begin in Ibiza, with a one off event called The Birthday Warm Up Party taking place on Saturday 19th August at Space, before the birthday weekender takes place at Ministry of Sound's flagship venue in London on September 8th and 9th. Friday's festivities will be hosted by Soul Heaven, representing the grass roots of the club due to its US premise, with the most renowned Ministry resident Tony Humphries headlining. Saturday sees the club pushing the boat well and truly out, with a 15-hour party hosted by Deep Dish playing a seven hour set alongside more DJs to be confirmed. In the bar on Saturday, resident Marc Hughes will provide a musical retrospective of the past 15 years at Ministry. But the celebrations don't end there. A 15 date UK tour (see what they did there?) will take place, covering major cities. In addition, there will be an international tour taking place across South America, Singapore, Australia, Europe, Russia and China with a birthday album of tracks from the club's journey released Monday 11^th September following the massive birthday weekend. With all that going on, it's hard to imagine what more London's most globally known superclub could do to celebrate. I wonder what they'll do on their 21st?